Yesterday, Surrey's Usman Afzaal looked just as at home being a Brown Cap as he did to be beside the sea at Hove, where he followed up an unbeaten 126 off 105 balls, which included two sixes and twelve fours, with bowling figures of 10-1-42-2 as the hosts were restricted to 279-8 on a pitch that was a generous friend to the batsmen. It was Afzaal's first one-day century for his new employers. It came on the heels, almost, of the hundred he made in this season's LV County Championship opener against Lancashire. However, all of Surrey's batsmen who got the chance to bat cashed in as the visitors posted the highest one-day total ever recorded at Hove. Sussex's twenty-year-old Tom Smith was the only Sharks bowler to escape punishment.

After the Brown Caps won the toss and elected to bat, Scott Newman and James Benning got the ball rolling with a first wicket partnership worth 81 in only twelve overs. Newman then drilled Robin Martin-Jenkins to mid-off, though his 43 had come in just 41 deliveries.

When Benning departed 25 minutes later, the victim of a brilliant low return catch by Smith, for 51, Ramprakash and Afzaal consolidated initially then moved up through the gears. The third wicket pair combined for 153 in 23 overs. When Ramprakash was bowled, backing away to Ollie Rayner's off-spin, for 63 off 80 balls - his 80th fifty in one-day cricket - Surrey were 259-3. Anything more was a bonus, although Afzaal and Brown did not see it that way.

The former Notts and Northants man progressed to his hundred in 92 deliveries, then gave Rayner the long handle treatment. Meanwhile, Alistair Brown clubbed an unbeaten 40 off just 27 balls, which included four fours and a six - into the Executive Marquee off the bowling of Corey Collymore - as 87 came off the last nine overs.

The Sharks' reply was only five overs old when Chris Nash played a seaming ball from Jade Dernbach on to his off-stump. Four overs later Dernbach deceived Rayner with a perfectly delivered slower ball.

Andrew Hodd, who continues to impress whenever Matt Prior is absent from the Sussex line-up, was lbw trying to work Matt Nicholson to fine leg for 33. When Chris Adams drove Chris Schofield straight to Mark Butcher at short extra cover in the 23rd over, the hosts were facing something of a crisis at 109-4.

Seven overs later Murray Goodwin, so often a thorn in Surrey's side, was beaten in the flight by Afzaal and stumped by Jonathan Batty. Afzaal then accounted for Carl Hopkinson, who was attempting to cut the slow left-armer off his stumps. The Brown Caps overcame the loss of Schofield, who had to leave the fray with a suspected broken left thumb in the 35th over, to cruise home to win by 67 runs.

Michael Yardy, who batted valiantly, holed out on the square leg boundary and Smith was beaten for pace by Dernbach, but Martin-Jenkins and James Kirtley added some respectability by making 39 not out and 20 not out respectively.

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